Letters to the editor

September 26, 2012

Michigan voters deserve televised Senate debates

Editor:

Senator Stabenow has refused in negotiations with Pete Hoekstra's campaign to participate in any statewide televised debates. The voters of Michigan deserve to see a televised debate broadcast to every city and remote town within the state from the Ohio-Indiana border, continuing north to the tip of the mitt and through the entire Upper Peninsula.

Senator Stabenow has served on the Senate Budget committee for 3 1/2 years without passing a budget. The national debt has increased to $16 trillion ($16,000,000,000,000) with one third of the debt accounted for during this same period. Many Americans are hurting economically. One in six Americans are living in poverty. Unemployment is over 8 percent and even higher for women and minorities with many college graduates unable to find jobs.

Her vote for Obamacare will result in massive tax increases with a reduced quality in health care.

In the last few days we have heard disturbing news concerning violent protests at our embassy in Egypt with planned terrorist attacks on our consulate in Libya. Four Americans were killed. The ambassador was violently tortured before being killed with his body dragged through the streets.

In the midst of this the Majority Leader of the Senate, who has blocked votes on all bills passed in the House including a budget, has decided there is no reason for the Senate to remain in Washington and will recess for seven weeks before the election.

Former congressman Pete Hoekstra served on the House budget committee for four years and passed four consecutive balanced budgets. After 9/11 he was asked to serve as the chair of the Intelligence Committee.

As candidates for the Senate you are asking for our vote. As voters we are asking for a televised debate in order to hear your solutions to our nation's massive problems.

Bring on the debates!

Bonnie Lucas, Harbor Springs

Is Romney himself a 47-percenter?

Editor:

Wouldn't it be amusing to take a peek at an appropriate sampling of Mitt Romney's tax returns, and discover that he himself is a member of that 47 percent group of non-tax paying U.S. citizens that he so disdainfully considers to be a politically unreachable collection of deadbeats.

Bob Ross, Pellston

Rich, corporations, rule

Editor:

Wall Street and Washington have successfully converted this country from an industrial powerhouse to a giant entertainment and playground center for a few wealthy people. What can we the poor and the middle class do to turn this around?